SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Before the 49ers take the practice field, Eric Johnson kneels and stretches. Then he bends his muscled 6-foot-3 frame into the plank, the downward dog and a handful of basic yoga positions.
Behind him, a chunky defensive lineman is laughing his head off.
"Anthony Adams thinks I'm hilarious," Johnson said. "Double-A is really flexible naturally, so he'll come up and pull his arm behind his head or something to make fun of me. . . . He thinks some of the things I do are crazy."
Johnson probably isn't nuts, but he's a different kind of football player. The San Francisco tight end is a Yale graduate, a yoga devotee and a keen observer of presidential politics and current events.
He also was the NFL's surprise receiving leader entering the weekend's games, with 45 catches for 484 yards and two touchdowns. He has earned a reputation as one of the league's toughest skill players, never missing a step despite playing with cracked ribs in his last two games.
After missing all of last season with a broken collarbone, the former seventh-round draft pick has become quarterback Tim Rattay's favorite target — and a rare bright spot in a dismal season for the 49ers (1-5), who went to their bye week off to their worst start since 1979.
"Eric has done everything we asked him to, and he's really improved his game this year," coach Dennis Erickson said. "He's got all the tools you need to be a great tight end in this league, and there's no doubt he's got the mind for the game. He's a Yale guy, right? He might have too much mind for the game."
With his precise routes, soft hands and blocking acumen, Johnson is the prototypical West Coast tight end, the modern version of former Niners star Brent Jones. That's exactly how the 49ers imagined him when they drafted the Ivy League's leading wide receiver in 2001.
The 49ers no longer run a recognizable version of the West Coast offense, however. Johnson has evolved along with the club's game plan to the point where he has become quarterback Tim Rattay's favorite target, particularly with the pocket collapsing and time running short.
Though Johnson was an immediate success as a rookie starter, Rattay spent the past three seasons as Jeff Garcia's backup. Still, Rattay developed a bond with Johnson while the tight end recovered from his injury last year.
"We've been throwing and catching with each other a lot in the last year or so, and you can see the results of that," Rattay said. "He's a great target. He runs precise routes, he gets his hands up and he gives you his eyes so quick. I feel like we're on the same page almost all of the time."
Rattay relied on Johnson to an astonishing degree in consecutive games earlier this month. Johnson caught 10 passes for 113 yards in a loss to St. Louis, then followed it with 13 catches for 162 yards and a key score in the 49ers' only victory, a come-from-behind overtime thriller against Arizona.
After just six games, Johnson already has exceeded his career highs for catches and yardage. He understands part of his success is due to the 49ers' lack of a proven receiving threat, but he's also worked hard for it.
"I've been in a good groove where I'm finding the seams in the defense and getting open for Tim," Johnson said. "We've been behind in some games, so we've had to throw the ball a lot, and I've been fortunate to get some good coverages."
Despite injuring his ribs at some point during that prolific two-game stretch, he returned to catch four passes last week against the Jets, who frequently double-covered Johnson and rolled their zone defenses toward him — remarkable respect for a tight end.
"That's what I'd do if I was coaching against us," Erickson said. "Eric has been a big part of our offense. He's not going to continue to have people ignore him."
Johnson took up yoga after a back injury two years ago. He believes it improves his flexibility and strength as a complement to his regular weight training.
He does it year-round, taking classes in the offseason but relying on a book of positions during the fall. A few teammates have dabbled with him, including the ever-limber Adams, but only Johnson practices the discipline before practice.
Johnson has always balanced athletics with enlightenment. He was an American studies major at Yale, where he also punted while developing into one of the Ivy League's best wide receivers of the last two decades.
And he still hasn't lost his interest in the world outside the locker room — to a point. He supports Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in next month's election, but he's more concerned with turning around the 49ers' disappointing season.
"I'm just trying to be a part of helping this team win," Johnson said. "Whatever I have to do, I'll do it."